Samantha Erger Named AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award Winner
4/5/2018 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has named Baylor volleyball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Samantha Erger a Thirty Under 30 Award winner, announced by the organization Thursday morning.
This award was created in 2009 to honor up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport. To qualify for the award, nominees had to be younger than 30 years old in 2017. The 144 total nominations broke the program record.
"It is a great and exciting honor. It means I've had great mentors, been involved with great programs, and that we are doing some great things at Baylor," Erger said. "I'm so thankful for everyone that has been a part of guiding and helping me become who I am today. I truly hope to help and inspire my players in the same way that I have been so very helped and inspired."
Erger enters her fifth year on the Baylor coaching staff and fourth as an assistant coach. Prior to head coach Ryan McGuyre's arrival in 2015, Erger was the director of volleyball operations for the Bears in 2014. She also had coaching stints at Hill College (2013) and the University of Findlay (2011-2012).
As recruiting coordinator, her efforts have received honorable mention recognition the past two seasons from PrepVolleyball.com while VolleyMag.com named BU a top-20 recruiting class in 2017.
An All-MAC setter for Bowling Green State from 2007-10, she currently ranks sixth all-time in career assists, second all-time in single season assists and 10th in aces per set.
Of the thirty recipients of the Thirty Under 30 Award, 11 are NCAA Division I women's coaches, five in high school/club and NCAA Division III, three in NCAA Division II, two from the NAIA and NCAA Division I-II men, and one from NCAA Division I Beach and Two-Year College Beach programs.
The Bears are coming off their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and earned its highest finish in Big 12 action in program history during the 2017 season.
Follow the team on social media for a behind-the-scenes look all year long: @BaylorVBall.
